Academy’s Barbarian

*Cough, cough.*

Rotholandus, with a face that looked like he wanted to tear apart every single dwarf in sight, tried to maintain a dignified expression, clearly embarrassed by his emotional outburst. He kept clearing his throat awkwardly.

“An unexpected turn of events, but what’s done is done. We’ll just have to let it pass.”

“Is that really okay?”

I tilted my head, brushing off the half-burnt cigarette ash onto the floor. Passing just like that? Sure, it’s good for me, but isn’t this a bit too lenient?

“It doesn’t matter. You’ve reached the realm of a hero. A hero who has mastered both Feats and Life Force Techniques. Even if the Colossus had been intact, the result wouldn’t have changed.”

Hmm… He’s not wrong. If the Colossus had been fine, I would’ve struggled more, but I still wouldn’t have lost.

Even as a mere fragment of a soul, being a piece of the Twelve Knights, he could accurately gauge my strength. Though it seems he didn’t notice Hersela’s presence.

Thinking about it, it’s quite ironic. I’m actually just an outsider with no connection to Rotholandus. The true heir to the Bloodline of the Twelve Knights isn’t me, but Hersela. That self-proclaimed Heavenly Demon who’s too busy mocking her ancestors in my head.

Yet, despite that, the successor recognized by Durandal and Rotholandus isn’t Hersela, but me. She didn’t seem to care, but it’s still hilariously ironic.

Well… It’s pointless to dwell on it now.

I blew out a puff of cigarette smoke into the air, letting go of the thin, coin-sized guilt.

If you think about it, things turned out this way because Hersela’s personality was so rotten that even Durandal rejected her, right? So it’s not my fault.

If she had been as virtuous as me, she would’ve become Durandal’s master long ago. Though in the game, she ended up breaking it without ever being recognized as its true master.

—

“So, what kind of blessing is it? Personally, I’d like it if you could loosen some of the restrictions on the sword.”

It’s powerful, but it’s a pain to use. Sure, I can cut through space, but it only activates against opponents I have no chance of beating otherwise. The amplification and vitality authorities are always active, but spatial severance? I’ve only used it twice so far.

It didn’t even activate against Isabella, who I had a chance of beating. That’s how strict the condition is.

The stronger I get, the harder it becomes to use this ability. It’s a bit of a paradox.

“That’s difficult. Those restrictions were placed by my peak self, and as a mere fragment of my soul now, I can’t remove them. If you want to break the restrictions, you’ll have to become stronger than I was at my peak.”

Unfortunately, Rotholandus flat-out refused my request, saying it was beyond his current capabilities.

At least he gave me a solution, so I guess that’s something.

If I want to use spatial severance freely, I’ll either have to figure out the principles myself or become stronger than the Twelve Knights at their peak.

…But by the time I’m that strong, will breaking the restrictions even matter?

After rejecting my request, Rotholandus started explaining various things about Durandal.

The exact nature of the restrictions, the five authorities that manifest when the restrictions are lifted, and so on.

I had a rough idea from experience, but hearing it from the original owner turned my vague guesses into certainties.

The Unbreakable Authority: The sword will never break in the hands of its rightful owner.

The Amplification Authority: Amplifies the user’s martial prowess.

The Vitality Authority: Provides endless stamina as long as the user’s will remains.

The Demon-Slaying Authority: Cuts through all demonic techniques.

And finally, the Severance Authority: Embodies Rotholandus’s heroic tale, allowing the user to cut through space.

“The most important authority is ‘Severance.’ Originally, it was a power only I could use, but when I engraved my power into Durandal, it became an authority.”

The ability to cut through space, leaving unhealable wounds—that’s the essence of Rotholandus’s heroic tale, “Severance.”

“Every time you manifest that power, you’ll feel the sensation of cutting through space itself. Someday, you’ll be able to use Severance even without Durandal. That’s why we engraved our powers into the Oath Sword.”

“…If it’s such an important authority, shouldn’t it be easier to use? I’ve been through all sorts of hardships, but I’ve only been able to use Severance twice so far.”

Well, I’m so talented that I managed to get a vague grasp of it after just two uses, but normally, you’d need to experience it dozens of times to even get a hint. Most people would die of old age before that.

“That just means you’ve been having it easy. 800 years ago, fighting opponents you had a chance against wasn’t even considered a hardship.”

“Ah…”

…I didn’t expect the “back in my day” speech here. And the worst part is, he’s not wrong.

Looking at the heroic tales of Emperor Carolus the Great and the Twelve Knights, it’s a miracle they even won. The odds were overwhelmingly against them more than once or twice.

Unlike us, who almost got wiped out by a single demon, back then, it was common for a passing dragon to melt an entire castle and disappear. It was like living in hell.

—

“I’ve rambled long enough. Let’s get back to the main point… You asked what kind of blessing I’d give you? The blessing I’ll bestow upon you is the Blessing of Invulnerability. A protective blessing that renders you immune to harm from enemy blades.”

“That sounds good.”

I nodded, stomping out the last bit of my magical cigarette.

A blessing that enhances defense. It’s not complete invincibility like Orhan’s Indestructible Body, but it’s still a fantastic blessing, better than I expected.

Even with the Power of Feats enhancing my physical abilities, my body is still made of flesh and blood. That’s true even for me, who boasts of being the Empire’s strongest.

Most attacks are blocked by armor or Life Force Techniques, or dodged by reading their trajectories, but if a blade hits my bare skin, I’ll still bleed.

But with Rotholandus’s blessing, I won’t have to worry about random blades anymore. They’ll just bounce off.

Once I master spatial severance, I won’t have to worry about the power of my strikes, and if I train Reversed Heaven to its limit, I won’t be outsped either.

With the Blessing of Invulnerability added on top, my last remaining weakness will be covered.

“Then let’s begin.”

Rotholandus, standing tall, looked down at me and solemnly announced the start of the blessing ritual.

The atmosphere grew heavy and serious, as if the light-hearted banter with his descendant was over. The air itself seemed to weigh down on my shoulders, as if the dignity of the legendary Twelve Knights was taking form.

“After 800 long years, Rotholandus and the descendant of Aldenia, Ha-shal-leur Astika Median, have finally reached this point. Kneel before your ancestor and show your respect.”

…So they’re just going to ignore Aishan Gi-or, huh? I get that they’re acknowledging my Ka`har mixed blood, but they don’t want to bring it up.

I didn’t feel like arguing, so I knelt on one knee, driving Durandal into the ground, and paid my respects as a knight.

“Hear me. Your nobility is the shield that will protect humanity, and your feats are the sword that will destroy humanity’s enemies. In the name of the Heavenly God Elpinel and Emperor Carolus the Great, Rotholandus the Unyielding appoints you as a Knight of the Oath.”

A sword of light extended toward me.

At some point, Rotholandus’s right hand was holding a longsword identical to Durandal.

“Heir of Median. Knight Rotholandus bestows upon you the Blessing of Invulnerability. You shall become humanity’s unbreakable shield!”

The blade of white divine light scattered like the Milky Way. Like hundreds of fireflies dancing in unison, waves of light enveloped me.

—

And so, I received the Blessing of Invulnerability.

…Though I don’t really feel any different.

“Is that it? I don’t feel like anything’s changed.”

I pinched my arm and poked my chest, expressing my doubts.

I thought my body would become as hard as black iron, but even after the ritual, my body was still soft and squishy.

I’m starting to suspect the blessing failed.

“That’s why it’s a blessing. If your body turned into iron, wouldn’t daily life become incredibly inconvenient? Especially for a woman’s body. If you don’t believe me, try stabbing yourself with a dagger.”

“Alright, then.”

I did as Rotholandus said, pulling out the dagger from my belt and lightly dragging it across my arm.

Then,

*Screech!*

Even though I dragged the blade across my bare skin, instead of blood, a metallic screech rang out. It didn’t hurt or itch.

So… the blessing makes my skin as hard as steel the moment a blade touches it, huh?

I smirked and sheathed the dagger back into my belt.

Honestly, I’m quite satisfied. It’s solid defense while keeping my skin soft normally. For a stroll through a tomb with a lantern, this is an over-the-top reward.

With a blessing like this, I won’t have to hear complaints about being too hard when hugging Rana.

“Are you done checking? Then I’ll explain the blessing in detail.”

Rotholandus, now sitting back on the sarcophagus, spoke to me.

He looked about twice as transparent as before, having used most of his remaining energy to bestow the blessing.

“The Blessing of Invulnerability. A blessing bestowed upon me by the Heavenly God Elpinel. Every part of your skin except the soles of your feet will become as hard as metal the moment it’s attacked.”

“Why not the soles?”

“I don’t know. It’s always been that way.”

…Whatever. How often do you get attacked on the soles of your feet in a fight?

“When the blessing activates, it’s like wearing iron armor. Slashing and piercing attacks will be almost completely blocked, but heavy blunt attacks will still transfer some impact. Be careful.”

[Hmm. That’s a bit of a shame. Orhan is quite skilled in hand-to-hand combat.]

So I should be more wary of fists than blades.

It’ll hurt less than without the blessing, but I should still avoid heavy blows if possible.

“And about the blessing’s defense… Hmm, this is a bit awkward to explain…”

“Is there a problem? Another weakness besides the soles?”

“……No, not exactly. But… the Blessing of Invulnerability is the Heavenly God Elpinel’s grace infused into your skin. As such, the power grows stronger the more contact you have with the sky. Do you understand what that means?”

What’s he talking about?

“Does it get stronger the higher up I go?”

[……That’s not it.]

‘Then what is it?’

[…….]

Hersela hesitated, clearly understanding but unable to bring herself to explain.

What the hell is it?

I gave up on getting an answer from Hersela and tilted my head, looking at Rotholandus with a puzzled expression, urging him to explain properly.

“Sigh…”

Rotholandus let out a deep sigh, clearly reluctant, before slowly opening his mouth.

“…The more skin you expose, the stronger it becomes. If you fight naked, you’ll be able to block even the strikes of masters and heroes.”

What the f*** did you just say?

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